5 Keys To Mastering A Foreign Language

Jason Falls says on September 7th, 2007 at 9:07 am

Not trying to be a negative Nancy, but this article wasn’t very inciteful or helpful. Focus on words and phrases? What else are you going to focus on, math? Take the time? I’m not recommending taking the time to read this one. Just my two cents.

Steve Kaufmann says on September 7th, 2007 at 10:22 am

Craig,

You are absolutely right that age is no barrier in language learning. This is not just my experience but has been confirmed by research which shows the continuing plasticity of the brain. In fact language learning is good for the brain, especially in old age.

Jason,

I have learned nine foreign languages. I can tell you that it is just that simple. Put in the time doing things that you enjoy, listen and read to things of interest. You can develop the ability to observe and notice the words and phrases. Oh, and forget the grammar rules, just grow your vocabulary. It is not more complicated than that, assuming you are motivated. I am sorry there are no magic solutions or shortcuts.

Katie says on September 7th, 2007 at 11:39 am

Where is the blog entry? There aren’t even 5 things here?!!?? Useless blog!

David says on September 7th, 2007 at 8:13 pm

Steve you’re an idiot! Jason didn’t say anything about shortcuts or magic solutions. Maybe if you had taken the time to learn your first language correctly you would have seen that.

Oh and your solution is to focus on words? Is that how you learned first language? Is that how you learned all the others? I bet you speak them with a very thick accent and in a slow steady pace.

What do you do with all these words? Do you keep them in a database and review them? Is that the way you did it with your first language? Is that the way you learn languages?

Words have no meaning outside of context.

Sour Grapes says on September 7th, 2007 at 8:21 pm

It seems a bit pointless to respond to this article here, since it isn’t actually featured here. However, from the tiny extract you’ve chosen to quote, it seems that there’s a lot of emphasis on listening and reading, and not a word on speaking. You learn to speak by speaking, and by copying the way others speak. That’s been my experience in learning three languages as an adult, and if you think about it, it’s how we all learned out first language, too.

Dare to speak. People will admire you for it, and will do everything possible to make it better for you.

Mike says on September 7th, 2007 at 9:18 pm

Sour Grapes,

The reason for the lack of emphasis on speaking is because, you do not learn to speak by speaking. You learn to speak by listening. That is, if you want to speak like a native.

Dare to keep quiet and learn by listening. Then people will never will never know you aren’t speaking your mother tongue when you do finally open your mouth.

Steve Kaufmann says on September 7th, 2007 at 11:18 pm

The article can be viewed by clicking on the link entitled “The 5 Keys to Success in Foreign Language Learning -” in the original post.

David,

Yes you learn your first language by getting used to more and more words from context that is meaningful to you. As an adult you can speed up the process by using technology,but the learning principles are the same. You need to acquire words from meaningful contexts. As to my accent in various foreign languages you can judge by viewing the videos at http://www.thelinguist.com, There are even some Youtube videos of me speaking Mandarin, Japanese and other languages. But that does not matter. This is not about me, but about how people can learn languages more easily and more enjoyably than they think. But they have to put in the time with the language.

Mike,

Thank you, as counterintuitive as it may seem to some, we learn to speak by listening, and by slowly learning to imitate, once we are comfortable listening and understanding.

Mel says on September 8th, 2007 at 6:57 am

I think it’s too easy to criticize the formal foreign language learning environment. If you know how a language really works it makes it easier to infer the meanings of new words, as well as their pronunciations. Vocabulary is something that should be picked up naturally through usage.

It doesn’t seem practical to me to just focus on one aspect of learning a language. If you’re learning a foreign language you shouldn’t /just/ listen or /just/ speak it. This short list fails it’s own main point- EXPOSURE. The more you are exposed to a language in any way the more of it you will absorb.

Steve Kaufmann says on September 8th, 2007 at 9:26 am

Mel,

My experience of language learning and watching many others learn is that enjoyable exposure to interesting and more or less comprehensible content is highly effective. On other hand, the explicit explanation of “how the language” works is only meaningful after much exposure through listening and reading. Ideally a learner has access to a tutor in order to be able to ask questions and gain feedback, when the learner wants it. The initiative should be with the learner.

David says on September 8th, 2007 at 5:17 pm

Steve,

I watched the videos on your site and on youtube. The ones on your site are prepared and prewritten. They don’t count. You can find people on Youtube that have prewritten speeches in other and fake languages, and they themselves tell you they don’t speak the languages.
They’re just faking it and sound a lot better than you.
They only thing you have on Youtube that might be fit to judge is a fake interview that was conducted it mangled Chinese. You are only asked simple questions in Chinese to which you respond in a thick western accent. You are not reading from a script this time, but you are given reheared answers.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I give your Chinese a 4.

Steve Kaufmann says on September 8th, 2007 at 10:41 pm

David,

You follow my blog and now you follow me here to criticize me, a troll as they say. No problem. I have asked you twice before who you are and what your motivation is. I have not yet received an answer.I guess I will not get one this time.